DIGITAL.NEOSKOSMOS.COM dementia just hands and numbers. A dementia carer needs to have the patience to trigger all of the cognitive elements left within the elderly person, a skill that requires deep and ongoing educ - at the beginning of someone's caring journey as well as during. "Carers are usually not ac so the information cannot be absorbed all in one go, in one seminar or workshop," Anne says. At the same time, when many of the supervisors and team leaders working in aged c had the chance to skill themselves, they are less able to tr "The need for Australia to bec a more dementia-friendly and educated community is vital. W grow old one day - what will happen to us if we find ourselves in these shoes?" The goal is to encour DIGITAL.N DIGITAL.N DIGITAL.N DIGITAL.N DIGITAL.N TAL.NEOSKOSMOS.COM dementia just hands and numbers. A dementia carer needs to have the pati SKOSMOS.COM dementia just hands and numbers. A dementia carer needs to have the patience to trigger all of the cognitive elements left within the elderly person, a skill that requires deep and ongoing educ - at the beginning of someone's caring journey as well as during. "Carers are usually not ac so the information cannot be absorbed all in one go, in one seminar or workshop," Anne says. At the same time, when many of the supervisors and team leaders working in aged c had the chance to skill themselves, they are less able to tr "The need for Australia to bec a more dementia-friendly and educated community is vital. W grow old one day - what will happen to us if we find ourselves in these shoes?" The goal is to encour Alzheimer's Alzheimer's Australia takes action In an effort to bring Australians closer to patients who suffer from the almost epidemic-level illness as well as the hurdles carers are up against, the organisation has announced three major events. "We have called for funding for the development of six dementia-friendly communities across Victoria over the next three years," Maree McCabe, Alzheimer's Australia Vic CEO, says. Victoria is already being piloted by Alzheimer's Australia Vic in partnership with The Indigo Health Consortium and the Municipal Association of Victoria, and the core objectives involve increasing community awareness and understanding of dementia, expanding social networks, improving access to local facilities such as transport, shops and cafes, and improving the physical environment. According to McCabe, increasing society's understanding of what it is like to live with a cognitive impairment and improving the accessibility of a community's physical environment is beneficial to the entire population. Especially in the absence of any significant developments, there's a conservative prediction that even more Australians will suffer in the near future. One of the most significant key challenges Alzheimer's Australia faces is the move to the NDIS funding structure, which does not adequately cater to the needs of people with Younger Onset Dementia. The organisation has been lobbying the government to make some changes that would better meet those needs, while meantime the team is working on improving the way government-funded services are delivered. Internationally, there are now more people aged over 65 than under 15 for the first time in the world. That is certainly having an increasing impact on Alzheimer's Australia and their ability to meet demand for services from the community. To anyone caring for someone with dementia, know that there is support out there for you. Feel free to call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 if you have any questions at all about what you're experiencing and if you need help to find additional support. To access Alzheimer's Australia’s Greek-language help sheets visit www://vic.fightdementia.org.au/ about-dementia-and-memory-loss/ information-in-other-languages/greek Dementia Awareness Month is held from 1-30 September nationwide this year like every year. Further information can be obtained by calling (03) 9816 5776 or by email at vic.bequests@alzheimers.org.au THE WEEKEND NEOS KOSMOS | SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 2015 13 FEATURE